The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    ConsumerLab tests turmeric (curcumin) supplements

    14 brands were tested.

    And, the results are grim.

    Lead contamination

    • 1 popular brand to contained almost 19 mcg of lead in a daily serving — the highest amount ConsumerLab has ever reported.
    • Another brand was contaminated with 8.3 mcg of lead.
    • These amounts are well above those to which people are normally exposed and should be avoided.

    Subpotency

    • 2 other products provided only 12% and 50%, respectively, of expected curcumin compounds.
    • A fifth product failed to specify the part of the plant used — a FDA labeling requirement.

    The bottom line?
    More than a third of the 14 brands had quality control problems, including heavy metal contamination.

    You’ll have to buy the report to get more details.

    5/5/09 21:45 JR

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